Klemm: US will seek to further broaden, strengthen and deepen US-Romania Strategic Partnership

Looking to the future, the US will seek to further broaden, strengthen and deepen the U.S.-Romania Strategic Partnership, US ambassador to Bucharest Hans Klemm told an Independence Day celebration on Friday evening.

"As we celebrate American independence, the centenary of Romanian unity, and the friendship that has existed between America and Romania over these past 100 years, I hope for an even stronger partnership as we together face the challenges, and the tremendous opportunities, that lie ahead," said the US ambassador.

He added that the US will continue "to point to Romania as a model NATO Ally that is meeting, or exceeding, its commitments to the Alliance by investing in its defense, modernizing its capabilities, and contributing not only to regional security, but to transatlantic defense, and efforts to end conflicts in areas far, far away from Romania, such as Afghanistan."

"Together we will preserve and strengthen transatlantic links. We will continue our excellent law enforcement cooperation that ensures the safety and security of our citizens by fighting terrorism, organized crime, the trafficking of weapons, drugs, and persons, and the malign influence of hostile states. We will collaborate to improve cyber security and defend against hybrid threats. We will promote American values and applaud Romania's embrace of a democratic future and its consolidation of its democratic institutions, including an independent Judiciary. We will encourage Romania's contributions to European energy security, including taking the necessary steps to enable strategic investments in Black Sea energy production, with the enormous potential here in Romania of becoming a regional hub of energy production and supply," added Klemm.

He said the US "support a stable, predictable, and transparent business and investment environment to attract American investors to Romania, grow trade between our two countries, and advance our mutual economic prosperity."

"We will explore ways to increase the exchange of artists, scholars, students, and scientists between Romania and the United States, building on the great work of the Fulbright Commission and the recent, very welcome decision by the Romanian Government to introduce a film production incentive program.We will commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and educate our children on the evils of anti-Semitism and extremism. We are grateful for the generous contribution of the Romanian government to the building of a museum here in Bucharest to celebrate the history of the Jews in Romania. Romania has its own goals for our Strategic Partnership, and we will continue to endeavor together to realize those aspirations," said Klemm.